KITSAP SUN FILE PHOTOS
Alan Futterman (left) and Wes Schulz lead the Bremerton and Bainbridge symphony orchestras, respectively, into the 2013 portion of their seasons.

AMITAVA SARKAR / CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Cirque Ziva helps get the wheels rolling on 2013 with a pair of shows at the Admiral Theatre on Jan. 19.

Amitava Sarkar

PARAMOUNT PICTURES
They say Robert Downey's back for his third go'round as Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. But, let's face it: That could be anybody in there.

The Mayans didn't get you, and you survived going over the Fiscal Cliff.

So, what now?

Well, there's always a night at the theater, the movie house, the concert hall or the night spot to while away the time. And, while much of the year ahead is still in the planning stages, there is a lot to look forward to in and around Kitsap County.

The Admiral Theatre in Bremerton is in the middle of another excellent "something for everyone" season; both Bremerton and Bainbridge boast excellent symphony orchestras, who will resume their seasons at winter's end; the playhouses are humming with a wide variety of worthy musical, comedic, dramatic and even fringe offerings.

What follows is a rundown — and by no means a complete one — of entertainment opportunities in the coming months. Events and dates are subject to change, and many events have yet to settle their 2013 editions.

But it's a start:

classical music

The Bainbridge Performing Arts Chamber Music Series kicks off Jan. 13 with a 3 p.m. program titled "Inspired by Folk Songs & Stories," performed by local musicians. Tickets are $16 to $12. Information: 206-842-8569, bainbridgeperformingarts.org.

The finals of the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra's Young Artist Concerto Competition are at 6 p.m. on Jan. 27 at Bainbridge Performing Arts, 200 Madison Ave. N. Instrumentalists and vocalists ages 12 to 21 earn a chance to perform with the symphony in their May 31 (7:30 p.m.) and June 2 (3 p.m.) concerts. Information: 206-842-8569, bainbridgeperformingarts.org.

Music director Wesley Schulz leads the orchestra through two programs to complete the 2012-13 season: "The Grand and the Pastoral," Feb. 23 and 24, features music by Smetana, Respighi, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven, with cellist Elizabeth Lee guesting; and "Symphonic Metamorphosis," May 31 and June 2, highlighting Paul Hindemith's musical rollercoaster ride as well as works by Weber, Barber and Kroening, as well as a performance by the Young Artist Concerto Competition winner.

The Bremerton Symphony and Chorale return from their winter hiatus for a "Nordic Voices" program at 7:30 p.m. on March 16, featuring works by Mahler, Grieg and Strauss, with guest soloist Rebekah Kenote, soprano. The concerts are at the Bremerton Performing Arts Center, 1500 13th St., and ticket prices range from $24 to $8. Information: 360-373-1722, bremertonsymphony.org. The Symphony and Chorale are joined by the Anna's Bay Chorale for a "Sacred" concert on April 13 at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church. Music by Barber and Mozart are on the program for 7:30 p.m. April 13 and 2 p.m matinee April 14. The season winds up on May 11 with "That 70 Show," featuring music by Haydn, Saint-Saens, Bach, Dvorak and Mozart, all tied together by the number 70. Soprano Yoshiko Yamamoto guests.

At the Admiral, the Stradivari Quartet make an April 12 stop for an 8 p.m. dinner show; the program is TBA.

The 30th season of the beloved Olympic Music Festival, which plays out in the barn surrounded by an idyllic 55-acre former dairy farm, will be announced next month by founder and music director Alan Iglitzin, but should begin in late June or early July and run through the Labor Day weekend.

Also Jan. 5, Poulsbo's own improv troupe, The Portable Reality Show, open their season with an 8 p.m. show. They're back on March 2, and periodically throughout the year. Tickets are $10 to $8. Information: 360-697-3183, jewelboxpoulsbo.org.

The Admiral Theatre hosts its annual late-winter visit from past winners and finalists from the Seattle International Comedy Competition for an evening of stand-up at 8 p.m. on Feb. 23. Tickets are $25 to $20. Information: 360-373-6743, admiraltheatre.org.

film

The Admiral Theatre hosts its Valentine's Day fixture, "Dinner and a Movie," featuring a screening of "Casablanca," at 7 p.m. on Feb. 14. Other classic films are offered periodically throughout the theater's season, including the film adaptation of the Broadway smash "The Phantom of the Opera" on March 22 and "Grease" on June 7.

Autumn brings the 14th Port Townsend Film Festival (Sept. 20 to 22), and the one-day Celluloid Bainbridge festival in October.

In the multiplexes, things slow down significantly after the Christmas season. If you need evidence of that, go from the riches on offer during the holidays to the most notable release of the first week of 2013: "Texas Chainsaw 3-D." Need we say more?

Help is on the way, though, with the acclaimed, controversial "Zero Dark Thirty" hitting screens on Jan. 11, and the Disney-generated prequel "Oz: The Great and Powerful" arriving March 8.

The same night, Gypsy jazz mavens Pearl Django make their annual appearance at the Collective Visions Art Gallery, 331 Pacific Ave. in Bremerton. The show starts at 7 p.m., and tickets are $20 in advance, $24 at the door (if you can still get one). Information: 360-377-8327, collectivevisions.com.

The acrobatis of Cirque Ziva and the music and dance of Celtic Crossroads are on display on back-to-back weeks at the Admiral Theatre, 515 Pacific Ave., Bremerton. Cirque Ziva has shows at 2 and 7 p.m. on Jan. 19. Tickets are $25 to $20, with $40 family packs available. Celtic Crossroads plays an 8 p.m. dinner show (served at 6:30 p.m. with separate reservation) on Jan. 25, with ticket prices ranging from $70 to $25. Information: 360-373-6743, admiraltheatre.org.

Masters of Motown bring the iconic music of the 1960s and '70s to the Admiral at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 29. Tickets are $40 to $22. Information: 360-373-6743, admiraltheatre.org.

Singer Alice Tan Ridley, of "America's Got Talent" fame, performs March 9 at the Bremerton Performing Arts Center, 1500 13th St., as part of West Sound Entertainment Association's subscription series. Tickets are $30 to $15. Information: 360-697-9463, 360-830-5286, kitsapconcerts.com. WSEA's season wraps up on April 30 with "The Legacy of Floyd Cramer," with pianist Jason Coleman.

Popular Seattle band The Cave Singers make not one, but two local appearances at Kitsap Venues — Jan. 25 at the Hi-Fidelity Lounge, 2711 Sixth St. in Bremerton on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26 at the Treehouse Cafe, 2469 Lynwood Center Road on Bainbridge Island. Both shows are at 8 p.m. Information: Hi-Fidelity — 360-373-5454, myspace.com/thehifidelitylounge; Treehouse — 206-842-2369, treehousebainbridge.com.

"Classic Albums Live," the repertory rockers who performed "Led Zeppelin II at the Admiral last year, return on Feb. 1, this time for a run-through of Fleetwood Mac's smash album "Rumours" and other songs from the Mac's catalogue. Showtime is 8 p.m., dinner served at 6:30 p.m. for those with reservations. Tickets are $68 to $22. Information: 360-373-6743, admiraltheatre.org.

On April 20, the Admiral hosts Draw the Line, an Aerosmith tribute band that has drawn critical raves from Aerosmith members Steven Tyler and Joey Kramer.

Come summertime, of course, there'll be outdoor concert series aplenty around the county, not to mention the festivals like Silverdale's Whaling Days and Port Orchard's Fathoms O' Fun, which bring a weekend's worth of music to their mainstages, and the Kitsap County Fair and Stampede, which offers country on its big stage and a variety of other goodies in its 21-and-older area.

And, of course, the clubs and nightspots are throbbing with music most weekend nights, featuring the best local bands and drawing hungry young touring outfits from around the country.

THEATER

Forget the movie version of "Les Miserables;" you can see it on stage on Bainbridge Island (in the high school theater, 9330 High School Road), performed by Ovation! Musical Theatre Bainbridge from June 21 to July 7; Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30, Sunday matinees at 3 p.m., and tickets are $27 to $19.

Bainbridge Performing Arts had booked an October production of "Les Mis," but yielded to Ovation! and will announce a replacement — and its entire 2013-14 season — in January.

More imminently, BPA and the Northwest Actors' Lab's "One-Act Fest" offer 12 one-act plays directed and performed by locals under the supervision of Dinah Manoff. Tickets are $20 to $5. Performances are 7 p.m. Jan. to 19, with 3 p.m. matinees Jan. 19 and 20. That's followed by "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" from Feb. 8 to 17; the musical "A Chorus Line follows from May 10 to 26. BPA is at 200 Madison Ave. N., and ticket prices are $27 to $19. Information: 206-842-8569, bainbridgeperformingarts.org.

Bremerton Community Theatre, 599 Lebo Blvd., opens the comedy "Jest A Second" on February 1 and runs for four weekends, followed by a April 5-to-May 5 run of "Urinetown: The Musical." The season concludes with the drama "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" June 7 to 30. Shows are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sundays, and tickets go for $17 to $13. Information: 360-373-5152, bremertoncommunitytheatre.org.

Little is set in stone for Bremerton's Changing Scene Theatre Northwest. But the company, which operates out of the Bremerton Eagles Aerie No. 192, has promised some Shakespeare in the upcoming months, and should be back with an 11th edition of their "Summerplay" festival in, well, summer.

CSTOCK in Silverdale perform the musical "Mame" beginning Feb. 8 and running through March 3, then turn around for a "black box" run of Shakespeare's comedy "Much Ado About Nothing" opening March 15; a kid-friendly production of "Alice in Wonderland" recently was announced for April 29 to May 12, and the operatic "Aida" is on tap for June 21 to July 14.

The Jewel Box Theatre in Poulsbo runs the family comedy-drama "Blessed Event" from Jan. 25 to Feb. 10, followed by the charming dog's-eye-view revue "Bark! The Musical" from March 22 to April 21; the dramedy "Master Class" ties a bow on the season from May 24 to June 16. The theater is at 225 Iverson St., Poulsbo; curtain times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with 2 p.m Sunday matinees most weekends. Tickets are $16 to $14. Information: 360-697-3183, jewelboxpoulsbo.org.

Up in Port Townsend, Key City Public Theatre have yet to announce dates for their 2013 season, but they'll open in March with the annual Playwrights Festival and follow with a five-show schedule including the "Shakespeare in the Park" production of "Much Ado About Nothing" in August.

Kitsap Forest Theater will come alive with two summer shows produced by Seattle's Mountaineers Players, "Narnia" (May 26 to June 16) and "The Secret Garden" (July 27 to Aug. 18).

Paradise Theatre in Gig Harbor open the drama "Of Mice and Men" on Jan. 18 for a three-weekend run. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. on Sundays, and tickets run $20 to $10. Information: 253-851-7529, paradisetheatre.org; "Steel Magnolias" follows from April 19 to May 5. The madcap musical "Monty Python's Spamalot" receives its first local production from June 21 to July 7. The season concludes Aug. 2 to 18 with the comic ensemble revue "Forever Plaid."

The Port Gamble Theater Company resumes its season with the musical "Quilters" (April 5 to 21), followed by "Pride and Prejudice" (June 14 to 30), "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (Sept. 27 to Oct. 13) and "A Christmas Carol" (Dec. 6 to 22).

Western Washington Center for the Arts, 521 Bay St. in Port Orchard, opens "Plaza Suite" on Feb. 1 for a four-weekend run, followed by Shakespeare's "Two Gentlemen of Verona" (March 15 to April 7), the musical "Godspell" (April 26 to May 26) and the season-ending "Grease" (Aug. 9 to Sept. 1).